When I was going into middle school, everyone was reading the Percy Jackson series. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, the series is essentially the Greek epics of Homer and Hesiod retold for a pre-teen audience. They did incredibly well. Over 180 million copies were sold, it was adapted for film in 2013, and Disney+ recently released a new series based on the books. They did so well that the author, Rick Riordan, went on to write three more series based on Roman, Egyptian, and Norse myths. Why did these series all do so well? What is it about these ancient stories that still hold us captive today? I think it’s because of the insight they offer us into the pre-Christian world.
During the time Christ and the New Testament authors walked the earth, Zeus and Hades and all the other gods were very much alive. Civilizations were centered around temples and the service of these gods. The whole model of civil hierarchy was based on this misguided understanding of the divine. They believed a “hero” was a conqueror who exerted their will over others. They thought the weak were made to serve the strong. They believed that some were born divinely better than others. They taught that if you wanted power and authority, you should take it by any means. Christ and His relationship with the Father teach us the opposite.
A theme that you will see repeated time and time again in the creation stories of ancient cultures is a divine rebellion where the most high god is defeated and replaced by another god, usually his son. You see this in Greek myth when Chronos destroys his father Uranos and then is defeated in turn by his son Zeus. This is why much of the ancient world mocked Christ and said, “If you are truly God, show us your power.” They could not fathom a gentle divine ruler.
Knowing all this, think of how radical Christ truly was to ancient people.
He submitted to His father, God the most high, and gave His life willingly for our sake. He taught that the strong should serve the weak. He offers His Divine spirit freely to all who would take it. In His death and resurrection, we see the model of the ancient world flipped on its head.
At His ascension, Christ is enthroned at the right hand of the Father and given dominion over all of creation, not by way of divine coup but by submission to God’s will. At Pentecost, he gives the Holy Spirit to all who are baptized in Him. He freely allows us to share in His divine rule and power. The promise of Easter is that we may, by grace, become what Christ is by nature if we submit to His will. Thank God our God is not like the other gods.
George Soter, Co-Director of Young Adult Ministries
